Simple
by Tiffany Blews
Summary: He's a shy boy with a superiority complex and she's a mean girl with the world at her feet.
1. Chapter 1

It's starts out really simple.

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He's a lonely boy with a superiority complex and she's a mean girl with the world at her feet.

Nate walks around with his nose turned up, spending all his time making mental judgements on people he's never met, he plays the quiet one, because it's easier; Tess struts with her head held high, manipulating and planning her way to the top, she plays the bitch, because it's how she was taught.

She falls for the wrong boy, and he doesn't appreciate her. He wants _fresh_ and _new_ and _honest;_ he wants _Mitchie_. So, as she was taught to do, she brushes her self off, and continues on.

He doesn't like Mitchie, he can sense the clingy-ness (he's never exactly talked to her, but- well, judging people by first observations is his thing). He knows Shane, and Shane doesn't _do_ clingy girls. He will realize his mistake and go back to Tess, who will accept him with open arms. (_God, he would kill for a plot twist. Because, seriously, cliche much?_)

He's half right. Shane breaks up with Mitchie, goes back to Tess, but Tess doesn't exactly take him back. He actually witnesses the scenario, and it goes something like this:

_Take me back?_

_Tess smiles slightly, a small smirk appears on Shane's face. Her smile widens menacingly as she hisses 'fuck you'._

_Shane blinks, 'what?'_

_She laughs a tiny, bitter laugh. _

_'I said- fuck you, Shane. FUCK YOU.'_

_His mouth opens a little, she laughs again, and after the flip of her middle finger, she's gone._

This changes his perception of her, he thinks he might have to look into Tess Tyler a little more.

&&&

She's not hurt over _him_, she's really not. He's a stupid boy with a bad attitude and a weakness for the girl next door. Tess Tyler is not the girl next door, far from it, actually. She's the cheerleader who continually calls the girl next door names and trips her in the lunch room. _That's_ a title to be proud of.

Sure, he came to her; he came to her and she passed it up, Tess may be alot of things, but she is not a fool. He'll always go back to _her_. She's looking out of her window, and she can see him sitting on the dock, _their (his and Mitchie's)_ dock. He's waiting for miss-look-at-me-I'm-so-innocent. She's starting to get bored with it, bored with _Mitchie_, why is she so stupid? Shane needs to figure himself out before he gets involved. (_She's Tragic Tess and even she can see the mistake. Where is Mitchie's head?)_

She rolls her eyes and snaps her fingers, her girls jump to follow. (_The new girls. Ella and Peggy/Margret got all empowered and now she has new girls.) _

"Let's go practice."

Britney blinks and stutters out, "But, Tess, we've already practiced today."

"I _know _that, Brit, but we need to be better. I think you underestimate our competition." She throws a glance out the window, sees Mitchie and Shane, purses her lips.

(_They could do something together, a duet, how cute!)_

Britney follows her gaze.

"Are you worried about _her_?" And Tess loves the disdain in Brit's voice when she says _her_.

"No, Caitlyn Gellar. She's really good."

She swallows and leaves her cabin.

&&&

She's got a new group now. He's been watching them and they're good, she's good. Her voice is sugary pop at it's best, but there's an undercurrent of something else, something... _pretty. _He's lounging on his bed, strumming his beloved guitar, and he can hear them in the practice cabin beside them.

He wants to go in a tell them that they're good, but he won't. See, Nate is a complicated man. He prefers to be by himself, he likes the quiet and the sound of his guitar, paparazzi make him angry but he really has no choice, and he doesn't believe in love. He can't remember the last time he was honest with anyone, because- well, lies are easier. The most honest things he wants to say?

_Shane, dude, shut the fuck up and stop being such an ass._

_Mitchie, he _is_ going to cheat on you, regardless of how many times he says he loves you._

_Sander, Caitlyn will never give you the time of day._

He shakes his head, thinking of these people and all the things that need to be said_._ What about Tess? What would he say to her?

_..._

He comes up blank, because he doesn't think he knows anything that she doesn't. He can see the way her eyes look at people, she can _see through all the bullshit_. He thinks that maybe they're alot alike.

There's a knock at his door, and he turns to look. She's standing there, annoyance in her eyes.

"Nate? Hi, um, we were wondering if you could help us out for a minute."

He doesn't analyze the fact that he says yes without a second thought.

_Author Note- Did you like this? Should i continue? Help me out, review._


	2. Chapter 2

_And I'm not scared of your stolen power_

_I see right through you, any hour_

_Blue Foundation- Eyes On Fire_

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Nate has never been very decisive.

He adores his little sister and his music is so important and he thinks that honesty is a good policy (_not really the best_), but he's never been able to decide. So when Tess asks him _if the chorus flows right?_ he kind of freezes up. He runs his tongue over his teeth and thinks about it, he ponders telling her that it's perfect (_when in doubt, lie it out!_), but he doesn't. He _wants_ to help her, he _wants_ it to be extraordinary.

"Maybe, um- Brittany?"

Brit nods.

"Maybe Brittany should go up a little higher, and Cara should... stay where you are, Tess- just a bit lower."

Tess smirks, "Okay, do what the man says."

They sing the chorus again, and he knows it's right (_he has this thing about music, he can just tell when it's perfect_).

They finish and Tess gives her girls an appraising look, turns to Nate, smiles an impressed smile.

"Thanks."

He smiles back, _no problem._

He leaves her cabin and he has no idea what just changed. He still _kinda_ hates Shane and he still thinks screamo music is a complete waste and _what the hell? _He feels... different. Nate doesn't give a lot of thought to his feelings, if he hates something- he hates it, if he likes something- he likes it; there's no need for any deeper searching.

So, now he's running through everything. Tess is cold and hurtful and... misunderstood. He is judgemental and quiet and... misunderstood. Maybe he and Tess have more in common than he thought.

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Tess is a musical genius. She _knows _this. After all, she is the daughter of the great TJ Tyler; it's in her blood. So when Nate makes a suggestion, she's a little baffled. She thinks _what the hell_ and she tells her girls to run it. They go through the chorus and _wow!, _she's impressed. It takes a lot to impress Tess Tyler, so she gives Nate this _smile_, a genuine smile, not a smirk or a variation of a smirk that is her usual. He leaves the room, and she can still taste her grin.

_Sugar and sunshine and something new, diamonds and Chanel and something pretty. _

She breathes out and turns back to her girls.

"Better?"

Cara nods, and Brit is still looking out the door. She snaps her fingers, getting the blonde's attention.

Brit's eyes snap back to Tess, she shakes her head in disapproval. (_Take it from her- Connect Three boys are no good. They break hearts and concentration._)

"If your gonna go pining after him, tell me now. I need to find a replacement."

Brit jerks her head from side to side, blonde hair spillng everywhere, says _of course not. _

(_Tess doesn't think about him or the smile that slipped out anymore, she really doesn't._)

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Brittany takes Tess' threat seriously; so it takes two days before she seeks Nate out.

He's sitting in his cabin, replaying sugary sweet flashes of teeth in his head, when she knocks on his door.

"Hi!" She says, way too brightly.

"Hey," Is his reply.

"Wanna grab some lunch?"

"I already ate."

"Maybe some other time, then."

She smiles again then leaves.

_(He doesn't know why he says no, because there's no one else on his mind. Seriously.)_

&&&

"You know, I really feel something for her." Shane says, his eyes on Nate's fingers as he strums his guitar.

He wants to say: _Well I guess you shouldn't have fucked it up, then._

He nods instead.

"But, Mitchie... Mitchie is something else. They're like day and night."

Another nod.

"Can you help me out here? Nods don't tell me anything!" He says, frustrated.

"Well, sorry. You wanna talk to me about guitars or the newest myspace talent? I'm your man. But girls? Not my area."

Shane rolls his eyes.

"Go talk to Jason, maybe he can help." He says, turning his eyes back to his baby.

"Jason's an idiot; he can't even spell romantic advice."

Nate chuckles.

"Nate, atleast try, this is a serious issue."

He looks up at Shane, makes a _go ahead_ gesture with his hands.

"Okay, well, if you were me, what would you do?"

Nate grimaces, he knows what _he _would do, but he can't just tell Shane that.

"Shane, I don't know!"

"Oh, come on! I've known you for ten years Nate, you have an opinion on everything."

Nate bites his lip, _come on just do it._

"Mitchie. Stay with Mitchie."

Shane nods, _thankyou._

(_He did not do that because he wants Tess.)_

No, he really thinks Mitchie is best for Shane. (_Really.)_

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She's thinking about it, about him, and she really shouldn't be. Because this is how she lost last year. She got distracted with a stupid pop star and she let a little liar steal her thunder. Well, now she's a different Tess and she has a new motto: _be mean, but not cruel, be cold, but not frozen._

She wonders if Nate thinks she's frozen. She shakes her head to clear her mind, thinks _focus, eyes on the prize. _

Outside, he's standing at her door. He's thinking _well already sent Shane in the wrong direction_, so he knocks.

"Come in." He hears from the other side.

He sticks his head in, _Hey I need your help with something._

She stands to follow, and she tastes it again:

_Candy apples and children's laughter and happiness._

A smile.

&&&

_Author Note:_

_I really like this one. Hope you like, please review; it gives me inspiration._


	3. Chapter 3

Tess has always had a thing for green eyes.

They are penetrating and sparkling and _pretty_, but as she watches Nate strum out his latest song, she thinks that maybe brown eyes can be pretty, too. Especially his, flecked with amber, they glow and she melts. His voice slides over the melody and plays on the strings of Tess' heart, and she is telling herself _not to go down that path again_. She holds on tight to her plan, _do not get distracted_, as he finishes it, his brown orbs shining with the excitement of a new song.

"So, what do you think?" He asks, a smile pulling up one corner of his mouth.

She decides to throw all of her facades and all of her lies out the window, because something is telling her that Nate won't believe any of it. She throws away her lies but she is still holding fast to her motto: _cold but not frozen._

"It was good, keep it acoustic; it doesn't need anything else." She says, nodding in approval.

His smile gets bigger and he blushes a little at her praise, he's always been modest. She's sitting in one of the chairs in his cabin, his single cabin, because all Celebrity Guests get their own. He makes a comment on how Shane often crashes with him because he gets scared in his own cabin ("I always feel like one of those crazy girls are gonna bust in and kidnap me or something").

She laughs like the tinkling of bells and he is going to save the sound and dream about it later.

Her giggles die down and she is suddenly afraid, since when does she laugh like that? Since when has her laughter been so... _easy_. She struggles with the concept of _fun _and Nate is still smiling at her. Her heart flutters and she curses it (_damn you to hell_), because she is _not_ falling again.

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"I can't stop thinking about her."

"Hmm."

It's two days after their last conversation, and the whole camp has been buzzing about _Smitchie_. (_They're back together? Fuck, I was counting on him being single..._) Nate is expecting him to talk about sunny smiles and warm eyes-

"It's like I had her, but I didn't want her, and now I do, and she's all 'fuck off'."

And Shane is definitely not talking about Mitchie Torres.

"Who?"

"Tess! God, Nate, I think you have ADD, quit zoning out on me."

Nate shakes off his comment and says, "What about Mitchie?".

"What about her?" Shane says, smirking.

He's layed out on the couch that he often occupies, throwing a baseball into the air and catching it.

"Word is that you're back together."

"We are." And his smirk widens.

"But, you want Tess." Nate says, because this is Shane's game.

Shane tosses up the ball, turns his eyes on Nate, that smirk making him into the same boy he was last summer, and nods a small _yes. _Nate takes a breath in, _stupid fucking dick, you never-_

His mental string of profanities is interrupted as the ball falls and Shane is not fast enough. It hits his face with a satisfying _smack!_ and he groans, rolling to the floor.

Nate feels a smirk of his own spread across his face.

&&&

Her girls are not listening.

She is frustrated and Cara is _flat. _She closes her eyes tight, takes a deep breath, _calm Tess, calm. _She opens her eyes and Brit has this... _wary_ look on her face, like she knows Tess is about to blow up; Brit's probably heard of her legendary bitch fits. Tess rolls her eyes, because she doesn't do that anymore.

"Stop looking at me like that." She says, and it's not _that_ venomous, just a little.

Brit nods, and Cara shoots her a dirty look out of the corner of her eye.

"Cara, you're flat, work on it. Britney, your fine." She says, turning for the door.

It's lunch time, and she is prepared to go into the mess hall and watch Shane and Mitchie flirt relentlessly. She hears the girls trudging behind her, and she turns to say something reassuring to them.

"You guys are good, I really think we have a shot at winning." She does her best to scrape up a smile to go along with the statement.

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Shane is becoming a problem.

The thing is, he's always been a problem, but it was normally just his general attitude and arrogance. Now? It's his love interests. And Nate knows that, eventually, there is going to be a falling out. He has been preparing for it for years now, and he can't deny the fillings of hate and disgust that pump through his veins at the sight of his _bestfriend_. Everytime he sees them together, Mitchie and Shane, he feels sick, honestly sick, because his boy, his homie, his compadre, his best man, is a cheat. A lying, fucked up, disastrous, no-good-for-anybody, cheat.

And Mitchie is blind.

Blinded by _love_, or so she thinks. Shane doesn't love her, Shane only loves himself, and he is tired of being the only one in on the secret.

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_Why won't you give me a chance _is whispered into her window sill late on a Tuesday night.

_I did, _she replies furiously, _now leave me alone._

She goes to shut the window, but he catches it, _Tess please, I'm begging here. _

His mouth twists into a pleading half-smile.

She looks into his eyes, her pretty pink lips grimacing bitterly.

Boring brown eyes that are a shade too dark to be what she wants.

Tess slams the window without a second thought.

The questions and statements of that night rage through her mind and she doesn't sleep for days.

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She is still battling with her feelings that next Friday night, her head a war zone. Many casualties. But, she waves a white flag for a moment, because tonight is the Pajama Jam. She slides into something so color coordinated that it will blow the other girls right out of the water. (It's a Victoria's Secret Pink outfit, styled specifically for this night by her personal shopper.)

It's nothing immaculate, nothing like what the Old Tess would've worn, but it is still somewhat _her_. Britney _ooh'_s and _ahh'_s over the cuteness of it, her own Pink apparel not quite stacking up. Cara, always the quiet one, nods her approval. She is dressed in a robe and slippers, cheetah print pajama pants and and a simple tank. It reminds her of Caitlyn, but she doesn't know why.

They walk over to the party cabin, following the loud thump of bass in the darkness. Tess is wary and excited, a mix of the two. She wants to see what the others are up to, she wants to scope out the competition. But, she doesn't want to see Shane, she doesn't want to see _her, _she knows they'll be together.

And, it's not like she wants him, she doesn't, but it still hurts a little. _He_ still hurts a little, even though she knows him. Even though she knows how he plays the game and how he'd do anything to get what he wants.

It hits her -

_just like that._

They never worked because they were so much alike. Shane and the Old Tess were just alike. Clawing and breaking and taking anything to get to the top, doing anything to win. And, she couldn't see it. She could only see the fact that he was another stepping stone, another thing for her to use. (She thought it was _love._) She wants to laugh at her stupidity, her ignorance, because look at him! Look at the mess of a boy she thought she was _falling for_. She shakes her head, tells her girls to go on in, she's just had a breakthrough. There will be no more hurting, no more false anger, there is no use for any of that. Last summer was a tragedy for so long, but now she can only see it as a miracle. A blessing. If she hadn't lost, if she hadn't been humiliated, well, she would have continued to be That Tess. That terrible person who thought the point of life was to _suceed at all costs. _

Tess takes a breath, a breath free of Shane and his stupid antics.

She breathes deep, realizes her mistakes and takes them in stride, her mistakes have gotten her here. Her mistakes are her salvation.

She laughs, a full laugh.

Because it's really funny how things can change in a year.

* * *

_Author Note - Okay, so, what'd you think? Good? Bad? Terriffic? REVIEW. It's the only way you're gonna get another chapter!(: (oh, and im sorry that this took so long.)_


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